1. Local Foods Strengthen
Your Local Economy
Ken Meter
Crossroads
Resource Center
(Minneapolis)
Community Food Security
Coalition F2S
Portland, Oregon
March 20, 2009
2. “Finding Food in Farm Country” Studies
plus Maui & Hawai’i
44 regions in 19 states (8 statewide)
3. Local Farm & Food Economies
The perspectives of the
communities where
commodities are
produced and
used...
…are often overlooked
4. Local foods may be our
strongest path toward
economic recovery
5. Vision for local food economies
Build:
Health
Wealth
Connection
Capacity
7. Consumption out of balance
50% of U.S. public school students
•
qualify for free / reduced lunch
10% of households are “food
•
insecure”
Source: USDA Mural: The Food Project
8. Economic crisis brings
opportunity!
School budgets are strapped
•
People realize we need to change
•
Sources: Flegal, Wellman. Mural: The Food Project
9. Data
helps
you
Metro
make
Denver
your
Health &
case
Wellness
Commission
&
Civic Results
17. Net change in assets for consumers
in Western states, 1984 - 2006
$50,000
$40,000
Change in Total Assets
$30,000 Change in Total Liabilities
Change in Net Assets
$20,000
$10,000
$-
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
$(10,000)
$(20,000)
$(30,000)
BEA
18. Issues in housing development
30% of ALL loans made in
U.S. metro areas were
subprime (2006)
Source: Wall Street Journal, October 11, 2007
19.
20. Value Chain
Food
Service
Producer Processor Distributor Retailer Consumer
21. Farmers' share of retail prices paid by
consumers, 1950-2004
900
800
700
600
$ billions (2004)
500
marketing bill
400
farm value
300
200
41% 20%
100
0
Source ERS; chart by Ken Meter, 2007
22. Value Network
Policy
Council
Non Profits
Consumer:
Producer
“Coproducer”
Processor
Retailer
Educator
Distributor Food
Service
23. Corn sweeteners
consumed in U.S.,
1966-2002
Corn sweeteners consumed in U.S., 1966 - 2002
70
60
50
40
HFCS
Glucose
30
Dextrose
20
10
0
Source: USDA/ERS — chart by Ken Meter, 2006
24. U.S. Youth Who are Overweight
Percent by Age
Percent
16
14.0%
14
10.7%
12
13%
10
10.7%
8
6 4.6%
4
4.1%
2
0
1963-70 1971-74 1976-80 1988-94 1999
Ages 6-11 Ages 12-17
>95th percentile for BMI by age and sex, based on NHANES I reference data
Source: Troiano RP, Flegal KM. Pediatrics 1998;101(3):497-504. NHANES
1999, National Center for Health Statistics. Chart by Melinda Hemmelgarn
25. Energy is a major cost
• The average food item in the U.S.
travels 1,500 miles from farmer
to consumer Source: Aldo Leopold Center
26. Energy in the Food System
Source: BLS; Department of Energy (estimates based on 1976 studies)
27. The Bubble Economy
Yet local action, and
public policy, can create
the change
33. Gorge Grown region
56% of region’s
farms reported
net losses in 2002
Source: Ag Census
34. All told, Gorge Grown region...
• Loses $20 million raising crops
• Buys $90 million of outside inputs
• Buys $200 million of outside food
Potential wealth lost each year
35. Total loss to Hood River region is:
• $310 million each year!
• more than the value of all products
produced in the region
• more than the value of all food
consumed in the region
40. Local Food Expenditures
by the participating institutions in the
Black Hawk County Area, Iowa 1997-2007
$2,500,000
25
$2,000,000
20
$1,500,000
15
$1,000,000
10
$500,000
5
Number of Institutions
Local Food Expenditures
0
$0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Year Local Food Expenditures
Number of Institutions
Northern Iowa Food & Farm
Partnership
41. Rudy’s Tacos — Waterloo, Iowa
71% local food!
Photo by Arion Thiboumery
42. Jobs, Fruit & Veggies, and
Black Hawk County region
If Black Hawk region residents
purchased locally grown fruits
and vegetables just 3 months out
of the year:
• 475 new jobs
• $6.3 million in labor income
added to local economy
David Swenson, ISU Economist
52. Public sector can help
Local and state governments
spend $50 billion each year
promoting economic
development
53. Public sector can help
Stimulus package has money
for schools, health
infrastructure, job training,
and more!
Source: National Association of City and County Health Officials NACCHO)
54. Public sector can help
Wisconsin asks that stimulus
money be used to upgrade
school kitchens
Source: Michael Fields Institute
55. Data helps you make your case
Appeal to officials on:
• reducing health care costs
• increasing tax base
• creating jobs
56. Schools represent a large market
Schools spend $17 billion
each year on food!
58. Schools represent a large market
Great Lakes Schools spend:
Illinois $350 million
Indiana 200
Michigan 235
Minnesota 130
Ohio 230
Wisconsin 135
each year on food alone
for Great Lakes Farm to School Network
59. School spending cycles through
economy
Multiplier studies:
SW Wisconsin (farms) 2.2 – 2.6
NE Iowa (local food) 1.91
Oregon (schools) 1.87
Michigan (fruits & vegs) 1.34
Iowa (mainstream) 1.3
Sources: Larry Swain, UWRF, David Swenson, ISU, Kaiser Permanente/
Ecotrust, Hamm et al, MSU, Swenson, ISU
